Recently Traci and I went on a vacation we have been dreaming about for years: Italy. We visited Rome, Florence and Venice, and the trip did not disappoint.
First Time With A Tour Group
We had booked this trip with Trafalgar, and it was the first time we had used a tour group. Normally we like to roll our own, determining where we stay, what we do, etc.
But this time was different. Because we were taking an international trip with many moving parts, we decided to use an actual tour group. Traci made a solid attempt to work this out herself, but ultimately it was just too much.
She found Trafalgar, made the arrangements–and I am so glad she did. Trafalgar took care of all of the arrangements–all we had to do was get there (and get home). They took care of the hotels, some of the meals and the local experts to be our guides through the sights of the cities and even arranged us to have meals in private areas that other tourists don’t normally see. This includes a private dinner in the Vatican and at Machiavelli’s villa (yeah, that guy!)
The Places, the Food, the People!
The trip itself was fantastic, too. We saw some amazing sights, ate some great food and honestly, everyone we met was wonderful.
The name of the tour was “Contrasts of Italy,” and that really was true. Each of the three cities we visited–Rome, Florence and Venice–had something to offer that the other two did not.
For example, Rome had the ancient ruins–the Colosseum, Circus Maximus and Forum–plus the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. Florence had the Statue of David, Tuscan villas and medieval buildings. Venice had the canals, St. Mark’s Basilica and its own medieval buildings. Everywhere you looked, there was some kind of historical building or site… it was amazing. Just amazing.
And the food! The food was incredible, too. We tried to get off the beaten path when we could, but the food we had near the hotels was delicious anyway…The best restaurants we found were by accident. We found this one steak place in Florence that had great food–and the couple next to us bought a steak that was more like a T-bone roast–huge!
Surprisingly, I did not eat much pasta. Instead, I took every opportunity I could to eat gnocchi. I love it, and wanted to make sure I tried the best there was. And, yes, the gnocchi did not disappoint. I had some great stuffed gnocchi, but the best was gnocchi dish with these slow roasted pork ribs that had a chunky, creamy tomato sauce. Absolutely blew me away!
What We Learned–A Lot!
Tour companies are great, but may not be for every trip. Probably the biggest lesson we learned was about using tour companies. Trafalgar was worth every penny, and we will definitely use them again. However… we came to call this kind of vacation an “immersion vacation.” You did so many things, and learned so much, that it was hard to digest it all. It is fine for a place like Italy where we had never been before, and there was so much to take in, but I don’t think we would do that kind of vacation all the time. We really still like to roll our own.
We also need to be in better shape. We did a lot of walking–5+ miles each day–plus a lot of standing in line. All of this made us pretty tired by the end of the 12-13 hour days. By the end of the trip we were in the groove, though, so we did adjust. We just need to walk more before another tour trip so we can enjoy it more, right off the bat.
Also, be prepared to do laundry. I knew this in a theoretical way, but it really hit home on this trip. We were limited by how much luggage we could take, and that forced us to limit the amount of clothes we had with us. So… we had to do laundry. We did one set through the hotel in Florence, but we did a lot of washing of underwear, socks and quick-drying shirts in the room sink. Pretty easy, and it kept us going!
Business class is the way to go, but it is expensive. When we fly over the ocean, we try to buy business class tickets. Yes, this is expensive, and as we face retirement, we’re not sure how much longer we can afford it. Still, the roominess of the flight is worth it when you have to sleep on an 8-12 hour flight. In addition, getting access to the airline business class lounges is definitely a plus! Better food, plenty of room and more quiet… godsend.
Another thing: be careful, but don’t sweat the crime. We had heard about the pickpockets in Italy, and were constantly reminded by Trafalgar. Actually, this was one of my biggest worries before we went. But in the end, we had no issues. Just be aware, control your valuables and you will be fine. It is more important to enjoy yourself and the trip than to stress about the crime (you have that at home, too).
So I now have a new habit: espresso. Ah, yes… espresso. It seemed that every 4th shop was a coffee shop, and they ALL had incredible espressos and cappuccinos. You could just pop in, stand at the counter and do a shot of strong coffee, pay a couple euros–and then go about your day. I honestly have not found espresso in Oklahoma City that is as good as what they had in Italy. (That is the subject of a future discussion…)
And that is about it. The trip was super memorable, and Traci and I ticked something off our bucket list. It was expensive, but if you ever get the opportunity to go to Italy–grab it! You will not be disappointed!
Marc
